Red Sox Climb on 2018 World Series Odds

After riding one of the fastest starts in major league history to the top of the MLB standings, the Boston Red Sox now trail only the defending champion Houston Astros as a +650 bet on the 2018 World Series odds.

The Red Sox were denied in their bid to tie the major league record for best season start through 20 games, falling 3-0 to the Oakland A’s as -166 road favorites on Saturday in their first no-hitter loss in 25 years, and dropping their record to 17-3.

Boston continued to struggle in Sunday’s 4-1 loss to the A’s as -125 chalk. However, the Red Sox’s league-leading start has helped ease concerns over early postseason exits in the past two years that contributed to long +1200 World Series odds at the end of spring training.

The Astros have also opened the campaign on a roll, going 16-7 through 23 contests, and remain perched as +500 favorites on the World Series futures odds. However, a middling 11-9 start has diminished the New York Yankees on the odds to win the World Series, slipping to +900 after opening the season closely trailing Houston at +650.

The Yankees are not alone in their early-season slide on the World Series odds. The Los Angeles Dodgers have struggled to play .500 baseball in the early going after leading the majors in regular-season wins in 2017, and join three underachieving clubs at +1200, including the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, and Washington Nationals.

Cubs Stalled on Odds to Win the World Series

A shaky 3-4 start on home turf has left the two-time defending NL Central champion Cubs stalled in fourth place in the divisional standings, diminishing the +750 odds they sported on opening day.

Pegged as an early +700 World Series bet, the Indians were plagued by inconsistency during a season-opening western swing, but have steadied the ship during a 9-3 run to reclaim the lead atop the AL Central.

The Nationals find themselves mired in fourth place in the NL East as they struggle to recover from an early-season 2-8 run that has fueled their plunge from +850.

Conversely, the Arizona Diamondbacks have enjoyed a steady climb on the MLB futures after opening their schedule at +3000. The Diamondbacks have roared to the top of the NL West during a 15-6 start, lifting them to a competitive +1100 on the 2018 World Series betting odds, and to +550 co-favorites to claim their first NL championship since 2001.

Winners of just 70 games in 2017, the Mets have won 14 of 20 to start the campaign, and currently sit alongside Arizona both on the NL championship odds and World Series futures. New York’s fast start puts them atop the NL East, but a strong run has lifted the surprising Philadelphia Phillies to within a half-game of the Mets, and powered a meteoric rise from +7500 to +2800 on the futures.

Nine wins in 10 road games and a 14-7 overall record has contributed to the Los Angeles Angels’ early-season gains on the Fall Classic futures, where they have ascended to +1200 after opening at +2500, while the Toronto Blue Jays and St. Louis Cardinals lead the middle of the pack, deadlocked at +2400.